The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Recent weeks have brought two key developments with regard to trade policy on stainless steel products that will be to the detriment of consumers.In China, the country's stainless steelmakers no longer enjoy a 13% export rebate as of May 1, reducing greatly their incentive to export and instead leading them to focus on supply...Read More
High-carbon ferro-chrome output in Inner Mongolia, China's leading ferro-alloy producing region, has retreated in the first eight months of the year, while that in the rest of the country has risen, according to market sources.This comes amid a push by Chinese authorities to reduce emissions in energy-intensive industries, as part of the country's pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.Operat...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:Bulk and noble alloys both moved largely in line with our price forecasts globally over the past month, though several markets surprised to the upside, exceeding our forecast gains. Stronger-than-forecast pricing momentum was primarily triggered by supply shortages in numerous...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were on divergent paths on the morning of Monday September 6, after a weaker-than-expected US jobs report on Friday sent out mixed signals.But base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were generally stronger this morning while they tracked the gains seen on the LME on Friday, which came despite the disappointing data from the United States...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.With nickel prices down by almost 20% over the space of around ten days during late February and early March, one might have been expecting us to be reporting sharply-lower prices of stainless steel, at least for the most common nickel-containing grades of stainless steel.This is not the case, at least in Europe and the Unite...Read More
Aluminium's three-month price set a new year-to-date high of $2,775.50 per tonne during early trading on Monday September 6, with political turmoil in Guinea - the world's top bauxite exporter - lending further supply-side support to the metal.The metal's three-month price was $2,755 per tonne on Monday morning, a 1% rise on the previous Friday's closing price of $2,727 per tonne, with more than d...Read More
London Metal Exchange ring dealing members have a decision to make - whether to remain one or not.The LME has just announced it will reopen the open outcry trading floor, which was temporarily closed due to Covid-19, on September 6.Its plan, however, comes with a twist; some ring dealers say, a knife.The official prices - which the global trade and industry use as the global reference for physical...Read More
Member mills of the China Iron & Steel Association (Cisa) cut their crude steel and hot metal production rates in late August compared with the preceding 10 days, according to data published by Cisa on September 3.The finished steel inventory level in the mills also dropped sharply in late August compared with the level in mid-August. August 21-31 outputCrude steel: 2.05 million tonnes...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices fell on Monday September 6, due to Chinese authorities taking a stricter stance against steelmakers on steel production curbs and the start of sintering restrictions, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $132.38 per tonne, down $12.33 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $133.02 per tonne, down $12.28 per tonne58% Fe fines high-gra...Read More
The Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lbtrade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt...Read More
Turkish steelmakers made no new deep-sea bookings on the first day of the working week, but two deals made last week came to light on Monday September 6.Overall demand for deep-sea scrap remains limited and finished steel sales are still sluggish, according to market sources."I don't expect demand for scrap to recover this week. Finished steel sales are still limited in the domestic and export mar...Read More
Domestic prices for cobalt metal in China have strengthened since mid-August despite weak downstream demand due to tightening supply and high production costsFastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt 99.8% Co min, ex-works China was at 360,000-383,000 yuan ($55,775-59,338) per tonne last Friday September 3, up by 3,000-5,000 yuan per tonne from 355,000-380,000 yuan per tonne on September 1. Prices...Read More
Turkish domestic scrap prices dropped over the past week amid weakening imported scrap values, market participants told Fastmarkets on Monday September 6.Turkish mills continued their deep-sea scrap purchases last week, albeit at a slow pace.Fastmarkets' index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), North Europe origin, cfr Turkey was calculated at $ 440.25 per tonne on Friday September 3,...Read More
Stainless steel prices continue to register new highs around the end of the first half of 2021 and steelmakers continue to enjoy outsized margins.They have responded in recent months by increasing their output, which has now pushed above pre-pandemic levels and will eventually restore balance to the market.For now, though, supply gaps are still being filled and buyers find themselves competing aga...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices across the board in both fob and cfr markets jumped on Monday September 6 on sustained tight supply and good overseas demand, reaching new highs since Fastmarkets established its coking coal indices. And the ninth round of Chinese domestic coke price hikes since the start of August was fully executed.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $450.61 per...Read More
Base-metals prices on the London Metal Exchange moved in different directions at the close of trading on Monday September 6, with aluminium continuing to reach new highs, while metals such as lead and tin ended the day on the back foot.Lead's three-month price was $2,275.00 per tonne on Monday at 5pm, dropping from last Friday's price of $2,310.50 per tonne.The metal reached a year-to-date peak of...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.United States sheet prices hit record highs again in May, with upward momentum carrying into June. Actual US HRC prices averaged $1,712 per tonne in May, largely in line with our forecast of $1,698 per tonne. Strong underlying supply-and-demand conditions both in the US and globally are supporting prices as well as long lead...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices and margins for stainless steel producers have risen notably over the past few months in both Europe and the United States, but there are now signs that the rally is petering out.A clear reason for the halt to rising prices comes from the near 20% drop in nickel prices seen in late February/early March,...Read More
As competition in the global steel markets remains fierce, Fastmarkets provides an update on the new, progressing and closed trade cases from around the world in August 2021.The case list below includes only updates. For other continuing cases this year, see the updates for January, February, March, April,...Read More
Import prices for rebar in Singapore continued to trend downward in the week to Monday September 6 amid ample spot supply and weak demand among buyers.A trader offered a position cargo of Indian rebar at $720 per tonne cfr Singapore on a theoretical weight basis during the week.Turkish rebar was offered at $720-725 per tonne cfr Singapore on a theoretical weight basis following a recent drop in sc...Read More